Replacement Bride Left With His Baby (Sophia and Easton) novel Chapter 39

**The Case of the Bleeding Shadows by Emma Blackwood**
**Chapter 39**

Sophia’s voice cut through the tension in the room like a knife, low and menacing. “Was it Stella? Did she tell you to cause that trouble at Crestview Group’s big event?” Her words dripped with accusation, each syllable laced with a dangerous edge.

Yvonne’s eyes fell to the ground, her shame palpable. “I don’t know what you mean,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, but the tremor in her tone betrayed her.

May, ever the diligent investigator, stepped forward, her phone in hand. With a few swift taps, she played the recording of Yvonne’s conversation with the family of the troublemaker. The sound of Yvonne’s voice, laced with treachery, echoed in the room, sending chills down Sophia’s spine. Then, May displayed the bank transfer receipt, the evidence stark and undeniable.

Yvonne’s complexion drained of color, a cold sweat breaking out across her forehead and trickling down her back. Panic surged within her, and she instinctively reached out, grasping Sophia’s arm with desperate urgency. “Sophia, please…” The plea hung in the air, heavy with unspoken fear.

Sophia shook off Yvonne’s grip, her resolve unyielding. “We have both a witness and concrete evidence. You’re going to prison, Yvonne—that much is certain.” Her tone was firm, unrelenting. “But if you tell me who put you up to this, I might persuade the judge to be lenient. Otherwise, you’re looking at ten years behind bars.”

The weight of Sophia’s words sank in, and Yvonne felt the walls closing in around her. “Think about it. How many good years do you have left? Is protecting them worth throwing away your freedom?” Sophia’s voice was steady, but the underlying emotion was clear.

Defeated, Yvonne sank to the floor, her shoulders slumping as despair washed over her. The realization hit her like a tidal wave: there was no escape from this. Yet, a flicker of determination ignited within her; if she named Stella as the mastermind, her father’s carefully guarded secrets would be exposed. That was a line she could not cross.

“No one put me up to this. I acted alone because I’ve always hated you, Sophia,” she spat, pushing herself up from the floor with the desk as her anchor. “Since we were children, I’ve lived in your shadow. I’ve always been the lesser one in everyone’s eyes.”

Her voice trembled with pent-up resentment as she continued, “Even in university, our professors constantly held your work up as the standard while treating everything I created as worthless.” The bitterness in her words was palpable, each sentence a dagger aimed at Sophia’s heart.

The memory of the broken engagement flooded back, a scandal that had rocked their circles at the time. Yvonne had staged numerous dramatic scenes at Frank’s family estate, creating an embarrassing spectacle that everyone had whispered about. Eventually, both families had reached a quiet understanding that finally quelled the controversy, but the scars remained.

In Jenston’s elite social circles, three families reigned supreme: the Fosters, the Hayeses, and the discreet Howards. Yvonne had been convinced she would marry into the Hayes family, believing it would be her ultimate triumph over Sophia. When that dream shattered, she had held Sophia personally responsible for her disappointment. Frank’s pursuit of Sophia during their college years had left no room for doubt. After confessing his feelings, he had taken the formal step of approaching her uncle to arrange a marriage between their families.

Sophia shook her head in disbelief, her heart heavy as she turned to May. “I thought he had moved on,” she confessed, the weight of regret lacing her words. “I never wanted any of this.”

The room felt colder as the reality of their past settled around them, the shadows of their history looming larger than ever.